The remains of Maritime List 238 Maritime List 238 being over and done with, I moved onto Maritime List 239. The differences between paper and digital catalogs are obvious, but some of the results of those differences continue to surprise me. For example, in the old days orders from my paper catalogs would dribble in […]The post British Bottoms appeared first on Ten Pound Island Book Company. Read More

She's back in her hometown, living with her Dad, and putting together a restaurant. It's a rundown bank building, she and her brother are financing it, and she needs a general manager. When she finds him, he turns the job down.Serenade Books gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It has been published, so you can grab a copy now.Jentry doesn't know the whole story on Gavin. She just knows he does have restaurant experience and she needs him. He won't work for her brother, there's history there. So she tries to convince him to Read More

This anthology of Christmas stories is one that could be taken off the shelf each Christmas and the stories shared again and again. Re-read favorites, just pick a random story, or start from the beginning and read to the end. There are twenty stories so read a story a day if you wish.Plough Publishing sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It has been published, so you can grab a copy now. This would make a wonderful Christmas gift.I found three stories that particularly touched me and I want to share them with you:The Read More

Carter is finding the circus amazingly boring. All the things that used to scare him, don't. None of the curiosities appeal to him. Maybe he's getting too old to go to the circus. But then he finds a new exhibit, it's a maze. That might be fun...Dundurn and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 30th.Walking in the maze, he meets Mr. Green. Mr. Green has garden shears and is trimming the maze. He tells him he can take any path he wants but he can't turn around and come back, he Read More

Rasmus has grown up in the orphanage and Miss Hawk is quite strict. When he gets in trouble by accident she tells him he's get his punishment in the morning. She canes the bad boys and he's afraid of that. He decides to run, but his friend won't go with him. He's not sure if he's brave enough, but run he does...Plough Publishing sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It has been published, so you can buy a copy now.I've read some of the Pippi Longstalking series, so I had to read this Read More

The paperback has been around since the Civil War, but it wasn’t until steam-powered printing presses and the growing technology that impacted the ability to produce, transport, and sell cheaper versions of heavier hardbacked bound volumes that the paperback truly began to impact the way Americans read and how they viewed the world. With the opportunity to read more, write more, and experience direct variety in our reading habits, the paperback caused a small revolution. To witness it, you’d only have to look as far as the new revolving book stands at the local drug store. Read More

Rock is the school bully and he likes to play tricks on people. The Hooligan brothers were just trying to undo a trick of his when the principal caught them and thought they were the ones doing the pranking. They looked Rock up and asked him to stop. He laughed at them. So they challenged him to a go cart race. If he lost, he stopped the pranks. If they lost, they did his pranks for him. So they had a good reason to win the race!Shadow Mountain and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review Read More

Just about everybody knows the story of Noah and the ark he built. This delightful book has no words but the illustrations are fantastic and you get a kaleidoscope of colors to please your eye. Here's a really fun way to learn Noah's story!Plough Published shared a copy of this book with me for a review (thank you). It has been published so you can buy a copy now.This would work perfectly for a bible study course, homeschooling, daycares, or as a book that will be well read at home.There are little details in the illustrations that will be missed Read More

As a community of readers and writers, we are all too familiar with the sentiments of Bilbo Baggins. “Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right. I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home…” We are a people torn between reading about adventures, and creating one of our own—rising from the safety of our armchairs to take on the persona of the heroes and heroines we’ve grown to know and love. Of course, leaving our comfort zones always comes Read More

Wolf is tired of dog always being smarter than he is, so he checks a book out on facts from the library. The fact that he can't read has nothing to do with it.Gecko Press and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 1st.This is a children's educational book that is done in a unique style with lots of fun thrown in with the facts. The subjects covered are diverse, ranging from mummies to dragons and your child gets offered ideas on activities that can be at home as Read More

Miss Seeton is very excited. She's won a trip to Greece. Her friends George and Emily are going and she's thrilled at seeing all the artwork and architecture. She doesn't know that Scotland Yard is paying for the trip and they hope she can help them solve a case. She also doesn't know that another murder will happen while they are on the ship...Farrago and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It is being published today.It's an odd group on the ship. There's a TV star that has a new girlfriend draped on him. Read More

Beatrix Potter is best known for her charming children's books filled with her own illustrations of the animals that inhabit them. The Tale of Peter Rabbit, has delighted children for years with its story of naughty young rabbit Peter defying his mother's rules and slipping under the gate in Mr. McGregor's garden to eat vegetables rather than going with his sisters to gather blackberries down the lane. Her books featuring such delightful characters as Tom Kitten, Squirrel Nutkin, and Peter's cousin Benjamin Bunny are in print today and can be found in nurseries and libraries across the world. While Potter's Read More

Once upon a time, there was the Roaring 20s. There was plenty of jazz, shorter skirts and illegal booze all over the place. The End. Just kidding! I could never stop a 20s blog with that – not when it is one of my favorite periods! (In an “I would live then only if I […] Read More

She's a very well studied girl and is at the meeting because she was invited. They are there to determine the next chief in the village. Those who hold high positions think they should get them automatically. The will from the dead chief states that they must pass a test to win. They protest but no one listens. Magic disperses them all over the Kingdom.Nobrow sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It will be published today, so you can get a copy now.This is a graphic novel that combines, magic, myth, folktales and Read More

In the pantheon of American arts and letters, few cities loom larger than New York City. The center of American publishing since the earliest days of the enterprise, New York City has, at one time or another, played host to a number of the country’s most daring, innovative, and influential authors. Entire literary scenes and schools have emerged, developed, and faded in the city’s numerous boroughs. Some of the most infamous relationships between writers have been forged in the city’s storied cafes and bars. It’s the one place in America where the literati congregate: where the aspiring bring their stories Read More

Nina works at the library and she loves connecting people with books that resonate for them. She knows a lot about books and it's the perfect job for her. Unfortunately, her library is being closed and she has a chance to reapply to the main library or she can find a new job. While she's trying to recover from the job loss, she keeps bringing library books home. Her roommate is not thrilled. She doesn't want more books in their home. But what's Nina to do? Then she got an idea...William Morrow and Edelweiss let me read this book for Read More

Good booze, beautiful scenery, and wit are the very things Ireland is perhaps known best for. The country’s long history of strife and oppression has given its people a talent for insight and humor. An analysis of the sharpest wits in the English language reveal a lopsided representation of Ireland, with a stacked roster represented by the likes of Swift, Sterne, Wilde, and Behan. And strong as they may be, such a list would be incomplete without the inclusion of playwright and Nobel Prize-winner George Bernard Shaw. Read More

Pepper has had to move again. Her parents refurbish homes, restaurants, even lodges. They are also chefs. Every time Pepper has made a new friend that she really likes, they move. At least this time it's just some miles away, not states away. She was doing OK with the change until she saw the ghost...The author and Goddess Fish Blog Tours gave me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). You can buy a copy on Amazon now.Pepper and her little sister explore the lodge but it's huge. One unique thing about it is that a Read More

Josephine is a toxic parent. She is totally focussed on herself. She keeps herself in shape, fixes any little flaws, has money, image and power in her world and she has no patience for anyone who might make her look bad, including her children... Mira Books sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you). It will be published tomorrow and you can grab a copy then. Or you could win my ARC! See the last paragraph for how to enter the giveaway. When she's found dead in her bathtub, her son knows she didn't commit suicide. Read More

Genevieve has become a doctor as her father wished. However, she's specializing in psychology and her father would have preferred a medical doctor degree. He's willing to let her try, though. He just doesn't understand how far she is willing to go to help her patients.Sourcebooks Landmark and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published September 6th.This is a Victorian mystery and the first in a new series. The author gets very detailed in descriptions of the past as well as the present. It read a bit slowly but it was interesting and Read More

Madeline does not like to read. She has trouble with the words, others make fun of her, and she can just do without reading. That isn't true in school or in life. She tries. She really tries and all she gets is hearts that say try harder. She wants a star...Peachtree Publishers and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published October 1st.This book is close to my heart. I've been reading since age three and I've helped others learn to read by reading together, letting them read to me and finding Read More

Rhona is a warrior. She's smart, fearless, and battle worn. The world she lives in is tired and worn out, but she refuses to give up. The machines have become their enemy and they want to kill all the humans. She's on a mission to kill them first.Hydra and Net Galley gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published July 26th.The author begins the story by killing the main character. That doesn't sound like a good start but don't worry. She knew there was a good chance of that happening and she Read More

Just finished the first draft of my novel and, although a normal person would be pleased to have accomplished such a thing, any writer knows that this is an occasion for depression, doubt, and tortured self-interrogation. In essence a first draft is no more than a promissory note committing the hapless writer to hundreds, if […]The post My Breakfast with Mishka appeared first on Ten Pound Island Book Company. Read More

Grace had a good job, loved her little sister with Down's syndrome and enjoyed her life. When her sister starts waltzing in the park with no partner, she thinks it's special that she learned to dance like that. When a man walks towards her, she gets up to defend her. But he just bows and then dances with Millie. He touches her heart when he does that. Then he asks her out on a date. She should have said no...St. Martin's Press sent me a copy an early reader's edition of this book to read for review (thank you). It Read More

One of the less-remembered truths about the world of books is that, for much of their history, books were expensive. Even in the eighteenth century, owning more than a few books was a marker of middle class status. This fact, of course, did nothing to negate the desire that exists within almost everyone to be taken in by stories. As such, the nineteenth century saw a rise in deliberate attempts to produce inexpensive reading material, the most memorable of which efforts took the forms of the penny dreadful and the dime novel. Cheaply produced on low quality paper, these alternatives Read More

The prisoners have broken out and while those who instigated it are dead and many others have been recaptured, the prisoner the president is most afraid of has escaped. He should be afraid. He railroaded Munro into prison for war crimes when he was following orders...Magnetic Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 9th.This a graphic novel with luscious artwork by Miquel Montllo. Sylvain Runberg has written a story that resembles a Star Wars scene. It's a nasty world in the future where those with money and power rule Read More

The King of Bourbon is dead. Who will replace him?NAL sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It will be published July 26th. If you haven't read the first one in the series, you might consider doing that for continuity. This book can be read as a standalone, though.When you are living in a family of wealth, finding out you're broke can be a big shock. It seems dad was spending money faster than he was making it. He took out debt and then backed it with the family's assets. The only good thing Read More

Deep within the children’s section of the local library, is an old dusty copy of classic fairytales. Behind the faded cover lives stories of heroism, nobility, and true love; stories that eagerly fill the minds of young dreamers everywhere. However, dwelling amongst the “once upon a times” and “happily ever afters” is a far more sinister tale of rat infestation, broken promises, and the disappearance of an entire city’s children. Read More

Every year, a new baby is left in the woods. It's said to be a sacrifice to the witch so their homes will be safe, but those leaving the baby behind assume animals get it. Little do they know there is a witch...Algonquin Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 9th.The witch takes the babies to the free cities where families are happy to adopt them. She thinks she's saving the babies but she doesn't know that someone in the city that sacrifices them lives off Read More

Libraries are not just for adults, and they are a wonderfully international experience. Go anywhere in the world and you’ll find a place to gain access, have fun, and get an education. These are five of our favorite children's libraries from around the world. Read More